


Tracking

by ColorTeal



Series: Cliffjumper Lived AU [7]
Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Decepticons turned Neutral, Escape, Injury, Minor Injuries, Paranoia, lying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-07
Updated: 2015-02-28
Packaged: 2018-03-10 21:59:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3304892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorTeal/pseuds/ColorTeal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Megatron wants to know where Starscream is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place sometime after Operation: Breakdown! 
> 
> Character and tags to be added as this updates to avoid spoilers!

“And _where_ is Starscream?”

Knockout bowed in the intimidating presence of Megatron before answering. “My Lord. We’ve yet to locate him, if he is still alive. I’m finishing a scan on Earth, and will be scanning space soon.”

“Find him. I _cannot_ have my top lieutenant missing.” The leader of the Decepticons growled, not turning from the holo screen, sliding through different maps of Earth. “What are you still _standing_ here for?!” He rasped, realizing Knockout had not moved. In fact, more cons were on his bridge than before his order.

Despite their size, neither Knockout nor Breakdown could move out of the way in time. They weren’t built to outpace a gladiator of Kaon. The medic had his back and wheels slam into Breakdown from the impact, sliding down the ex-wrecker’s shins with fresh gouges across his chest.

“We will.” Breakdown answered, voice strained as he hooked fingers under Knockout’s arms, half lifting him to his feet and half dragging him away. “We’ll find Starscream.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakdown and Knockout handle the medic's injuries.

“Does it still hurt?” Breakdown shuffled through supplies in Knockout’s lab, knowing from experience assisting him with the miners and drones what supplies were needed. “I can take more sensors offline, or dull them. Like you taught me.”

“ _I’m fine._ ” Knockout snapped, sharp digits gently prying at the deep, open wound. “Urgh, I’ll have to strip _all_ the paint. We don’t have this color on board anymore.”

“That’s not our biggest problem, we need to find Starscream.”

“We can’t.” Knockout responded nonchalantly, picking at chipped paint until Breakdown grabbed at his hand to get his full attention.

“What do you mean we can’t?”

“We _can’t._ ” Knockout shrugged. “We can’t find Starscream’s signal.”

“You still have to che-”

“Already scanned everything above the atmo in range. He’s not in space.” Knockout leaned back, shutting his optics. “I just told big M that to buy some time.”

“...Time for what.” Breakdown squinted. “ _Knockout_.”

“Just time.” Knockout gestured to his marred chest armor with his free hand. “Believe me, if I had a plan, you’d be in on it.”

“We need a plan.” Breakdown slid away, pacing the room until he leaned, helm against the wall and big silver servo covering his face. “Because we might not find Starscream.”

“We just need to wait for his signal to reappear, we’ll track him and bring him back.” Knockout grabbed at a tray of tools, working out the tears in the metal. “Simple as that.”

“You think we got time for that?” Breakdown said with emphasis, refusing to pull himself away from the wall.

“Who knows.” Knockout buried himself into working on himself. “The only reason we can’t find Starscream is either the Autobots has him, the humans who-” He froze, catching Breakdown’s flinch in his peripheral vision. “Er, or he’s dead.”

When Breakdown offered no rebuttal, no addition or anything at all, that’s when Knockout pushed himself up and off the slab Breakdown had dumped him on and moved to the warrior. “Hey,” he put a hand against Breakdown’s side. “Megatron thinks we’re working. How about we go out?”

“We should really-”

“We’ll grab some coordinates a-”

“Knockout, I _held back_ today.” Breakdown interrupted, free hand now a fist. “I can’t do it _again_.”

“You’ll have to.” Knockout patted against blue armor. “Against Lord Megatron? You’d be offlined if you tried.”

“I won’t be able to _stop_ , next time.” Breakdown sighed. “Next time will be _it_.”

“Bermuda. I’ll take you to sunny Bermuda and you can roll around in the sand dunes in the sun.” Knockout huffed, now smiling as Breakdown peeled himself off the wall of the warship. “Imagine it. Out of these cramped hallways and in the light. Come on.”

“...I guess if I could choose my last day, it’d be with you in Bermuda.” Breakdown managed to crack a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Breakdown suffers from Paranoia, canonically. I'm hoping to show that more in this series than TFP showed!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starscream panics, and makes his life situation worse.

“Starscream, you get back here _right now!_ ”

Ratchet had struggled with Starscream all day. He was the worst patient, even worse when he was able to get up and move unlike last time.

He was worse than Optimus.

“Starscream, it’s one injection!” Ratchet explained, syringe in hand. “The energon processors we had to build from human technology do not mix in the minerals we need right; We all have to have injections, and since you’re not living off energon from Cybertronian-made generators, that includes you!”

“I’ll be fine!”

“You’ll exhaust what’s left, if there’s any left, from decepticon-made energon! You’ll eventually have to let me do this.” Ratchet sighed, half-frustrated and half-upset that he couldn’t provide any alternatives for anyone.

“No.”

“Starscream, I can’t just let you _not_ have this! It’s for your own good!”

“Yes you can, you can just! Just put that down and not do it!”

“Starscream! My entire life has been devoted to making sure others are taken care of, and since you’re living here, “everyone”, unfortunately, _includes_ you!”

As Optimus and Arcee moved in on the commotion, they only caught the tail end of it; Starscream transforming mid-run down the hallway and blasting away, and Ratchet standing there with a hand pressed to the side of his head.

“What happened.” Arcee said through gritted dentae, engine roaring already. Ratchet simply held up the syringe, metallic grey contents inside, for the two to see. “...Wait. Starscream? Afraid of… needles?”

“It is not impossible.” Optimus said, before opening communications as he hurried down the hallway still hot from jet engines with Arcee on his heels. “Bumblebee? Starscream has left the base. Keep a lookout for him.”

Optimus and Arcee both transformed mid-step, engines roaring as they tore out of the base into the hot Nevada sun.

“Arcee, I understand you’re uncomfortable helping Starscream,” Optimus managed over comm links. “This is retrieval; You are allowed to opt out.”

“And let a panicking Starscream loose on Jasper?” Arcee scoffed. “No, I know what… episodes are like. Optimus, we need to call everyone for this.”

* * *

“Lord Megatron! Good news!” Knockout paraded in, datapad in hand with a red dot sliding across it. “Starscream’s been sighted.”

“Where was he?”

“No idea.”

A heavy, metallic snarl, the answer was enough for Megatron to whip around, and at the sight of the data pad, rip it away from Knockout.

“Laserbeak was flying around in… locals call it Utah, happened to spot him and tagged him. Where he was coming from or going, I’ll get back to you on that.”

“I will go after him _myself!_ ”

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Optimus, I’m bridging you and Arcee back to the base. I think we got Starscream’s signal, he’s flown out of Nevada altogether!”

“How do we have his signal, Ratchet?” Arcee asked.

“We don’t, actually. But it’s a Decepticon signal just moving as fast as Starscream is able to.”

“Ratchet,” Optimus rumbled. “Bridge us back, and then get us to Starscream’s current location.” A minute, maybe two and then the bridge appeared in a flash of green and truck and motorcycle both disappeared into it.

* * *

Starscream flew until he felt one hundred percent certain in his spark that nobody was behind him. He had crossed into Utah before landing, everything brown, craggly, and arid.

“Starscream!”

Startled, Starscream whipped around, peering over the ledge he occupied to see Optimus, Arcee, Cliffjumper and Bumblebee gunning towards him, kicking up clouds of dirt in their wake. Reaching the base of the rocky cliff, Optimus was the first to unfurl and land on his feet.

“Starscream, please come down here.” Cliffjumper called out, sliding to a stop before transforming. He could see Starscream’s wings lower and pull back, disappearing altogether. “Tell us what’s wrong, we can-”

“ **Starscream!** ”

Screaming through the air loud enough to catch the attention of Starscream and the Autobots came Megatron, crashing right on top of the jet and sending rock crumbling down.

“It’s so good to see my lieutenant again. I trust you were doing something important?” Megatron spoke, voice quiet in volume but harsh in tone. “Important enough to be gone for months, to not let your ‘dear leader’ know what you were planning?”

“Buh! Ha- L-Lord Megatron, I wasn’t expecting you to, to make a visit!” Starscream stammered. “I was ...tracking! Tracking Autobot activity! I noticed a… slight pattern, and thought it worth investigating! And if you look down there, you’ll see there’s Autobots.”

“And what worth is there in tracking them if you do not bring anything to destroy them?” Megatron roared, placing a clawed foot on Starscream’s leg, painfully pinned.

After a few seconds of scrambling in the dirt racking his mind for an answer, he found it.

“Why track one Autobot down and destroy them… when you can track him back home and find their base?” Starscream grinned devilishly. “Instead of picking them off one by one, which fuels their next fight by the way, making it harder to kill who’s left, you can take them all by surprise at once and destroy their _everything_.”

Megatron straightened up, optics rolled up as he took the idea into serious consideration.

“Yes,” The leader grinned. “Yes, it does have some merit. However,” His face went from bright to dark in an instant, optics intense as he ground his foot into the ground and elicited a screech from his lieutenant. “You should clear your schemes with _me_.”

“Yes! Y-yes, master.” Starscream managed to groan.

Megatron leaned, looking over the craggy edge to see Optimus and his Autobots clawing their way up to them.

“And do you know where their base is?”

“I… I have some idea.” Starscream answered, still struggling to pull his leg away. He didn’t keep track of how far away he flew, his speed, noted no landscapes thanks to his panic. ‘Some idea’ was not a complete lie.

“Good.” Megatron lifted his foot. “Return to the Nemesis at once.”

“Yes, master.” Starscream rolled over, pushing himself back upright, watching as Megatron leaned further over the edge, uncaring that the ground cracked beneath his weight.

“We will have no battle today, Optimus Prime!” He bellowed. “But you can rest assured, that I will wage war on whatever pitiful excuse you have for a base and all those who reside in it!”


	5. Chapter 5

"We _never_ should have trusted him!" Arcee yelled, storming away after moving into root mode.

"Arcee, what's wr-" Jack had jumped from the couch, concerned at seeing his autobot partner so angry.

"Not now, Jack." Cliff whispered.

"Is it about Starscr-"

"Yep."

"Are... you in trouble?"

"Yep."

"Arcee. Remove yourself to another room, until you have calmed down." Optimus ordered. She obeyed, but not before shooting a glare at Cliffjumper. Bee whirred softly, looking between Cliff and Arcee before following her out. "Cliffjumper."

"Boss. Optimus." Cliffjumper stood, feet shoulders apart. "Something's not right about this."

"You may be right," Optimus nodded. "but Starscream's return to the Decepticons, for whatever reason, does put us in grave danger, Cliffjumper."

"I know. Cliff looked down at the gray floor. "I _know_. but-"

"I agree with you that we need the full story before we pass certain judgement on Starscream." the Autobot leader answered with a leveled voice. "But we must worry about our own safety as well."

“I understand.” Cliff looked back up, and nodded. “If I may, I’d like to go find Starscream myself, Boss.”

“Granted, but you will check in every hour you are outside of this base. And do not go alone.”

Cliffjumper turned, leaving Optimus to have his place taken by Ratchet. “Do you really think that’s wise, Optimus?” Ratchet crossed his arms.

“He will check in.” Optimus answered. ‘If Starscream has not truly returned to the Decepticons, Cliffjumper is our best option to bring Starscream back.”

“And if Starscream has returned? And truly left us and betrayed everything we did for him?

“If that is the case, once Cliffjumper finds out I would not dare cross him.”

* * *

“No.”

“Arcee.”

“Absolutely _not_. Jack, tell him. You agree with me that he shouldn't do this.”

Jack reached for the back of his head, fingers in his hair. “Cliffjumper, it does sound really dangerous. I didn’t get to meet Starscream, but Arcee and Ratchet have mentioned him a lot and _none_ of it was good.”

“He was settling in, Arcee. Nobody does that if they plan on leaving.” Cliffjumper stared at the screen in his hands, zooming in on a map of North America.

Arcee put her hand over the top of the screen, tugging it down. “He was only just _starting_ to. When you’re in one place long enough, it tends to happen whether you _plan_ it or _not_.”

A sigh came, followed by Cliffjumper pulling the map screen away from his blue partner, setting it off to the side.

“Look, I know you think I messed up. Everyone does. I already got chewed out big-time by Bulkhead,” Cliff spoke quietly, then laughed just as gentle. “I think that’s why Optimus went easy on me.”

“But?” Jack tentatively asked.

“I really think we’re wrong on this one.”

Arcee vented, hot and angry and frustrated. “And what makes you think this, Cliff? I know you saved him so you were ‘taking care of him’ but you need to remove yourself from that and look at this with a clear spark.”

Cliff held up a hand, fingers uncurling as he counted. “He had access to our groundbridge, at least the physical part of it and could have destroyed it any time. It’s been running better than ever. Even with bots around, he could have taken any of the kids hostage and you know Optimus would have let him go in return for their safety. He avoided them as if they were scraplets.”

“That’s only two.” Arcee put her hands on her hips. “ _Two_ reasons, Cliff.”

“You also know Starscream lately hadn’t been so good at playing the ‘long game’ when it comes to scheming.”

“I-” Arcee held a hand out, but she froze. Retracted her arm. Sighed. “Three. Three… good reasons.”

“It’s dangerous but, I agree with Cliff.” Jack spoke up, swaying. “Sorry, Arcee. But Starscream came here cause he was hurt by Megatron.”

“And he’s always one for repeat performances.” Cliff looked back to Arcee. “If Starscream didn’t betray us-”

“It still looks like he did. He went back with Megatron pretty fast, he didn’t even look back.”

“If he didn’t, though,” The larger bot continued. “Then he’s not in a good situation and is still actually Neutral, which means…”

Arcee closed her optics, and tilted her head back. “...Then we have to save him.”

“You absolutely have to?” Jack asked. “If he’s still neutral?”

“Yup. Autobot code. Help all Neutrals.” Cliff tapped on his autobranded forearm. “And if he’s really back to being a Con, we’ll leave. And take out whatever we can along the way.”


	6. Chapter 6

“So, Screamy, where were you these last few months?”

“None of your business, Knockout!”

After towering over him, practically hissing, Starscream had succeeded in getting Knockout to back off. Asking a superior where he had been, the nerve of that medic! As soon as it looked as if he had dropped it, Starscream stormed away, wings hiked up.

It was strange being back on the Nemesis. In the dark and bathed in purple and blue lights, always cornered by the close-quarters. He skulked around for an empty room with a console, bringing up the holoscreen and several maps of Earth.

“What am I doing?” He spoke quietly to himself. “I didn’t have to come back.” Starscream pounded away at the keys. “I had options! I-”

“Starscream! There you are.” Megatron walked in, tall and bold and unaware of Starscream’s musings.

“How did you know I was in here?” Starscream locked up in his joints and cables, frozen in place.

“Soundwave.” Megatron chuffed.

“Ah. Right. How else.” Starscream’s voice as as stiff as his frame. Alone in a room with Megatron, Last time the jet was in this situation-

“I trust you are narrowing down the possible location of the Autobots.” Megatron sounded closer. Had he moved closer?

“I… am working on it, master.” Starscream managed.

“Are you?”

“What else would I be doing?”

Megatron laughed. “Starscream, we have known each other for millennia. I know you well enough to know you extend one hand while keeping the other _behind your back!_ ”

“I make sure to always have… contingencies. For emergencies we may face as Decepticons.” Starscream slowly turned to peer over his shoulder, putting a sly mask on his voice.

And that’s when Megatron gripped Starscream’s shoulders, claws like iron, squeezing, crushing the armor to groan and bend onto itself.

“Where were you all those months, tell me so I may raze the _entire area_. If no Autobots are there, they will surely come to stop the devastation. And I will destroy them then and there.”

“Well, I-I-”

“ _Now_ , Starscream.” He squeezed harder. Starscream shut his eyes, sputtering from pain and frantically trying to choose; Bots, or Cons.

It was kill or be killed.


	7. Chapter 7

“Hey, ‘Cee.” Cliffjumper said, staring at the screen above the ground bridge controls. “Decepticon signals, looks like the warships’ parked in Russia.”

“Starscream’s likely there.” Arcee nodded. “Guess we don’t have to go hunting for him.”

“But, it’s not a guarantee… right?” Jack spoke up, leaning over the rails, having jumped off the couch. “What if he’s not there?”

“We’ll report in what we find, no matter what we find.” Arcee assured her human partner.

“And we’ll be back soon! You’ll know if we’ve found Starscream before we come back through the bridge.” Cliff added. “And you don’t gotta worry about us if a fight happens.” He said, before flexing humorously. Arcee smiled, quietly rolling her optics before she moved to the ground bridge, and punched in the coordinates.

The roar of the ground bridge coming alive made the room vibrate, the air loud and everything bright and green as Cliffjumper held a broad hand out for Jack to climb aboard.

“Woah, I cant-”

“We just need you to man the ground bridge.” Cliffjumper answered, just loud enough to be heard when holding Jack so close.

“Contact anyone you can if something goes wrong on our end.” Arcee said, watching Cliffjumper gently put Jack near the human-sized ground bridge controls.

* * *

Starscream stood, silent and ankle-deep in Russian snow as three vehicons and Megatron detonated explosive charges. His wings hung low, watching Megatron move as his master called for the Autobots to reveal themselves.

The seeker was well aware that Megatron would find out either Starscream was wrong, or Starscream had lied. Neither outcome was favorable, nor distinguishable from one another.

The defining moment came in a flash of green, spitting out Autobots.

The explosives were now no longer the most volatile thing in the area; it was them. Everyone there added to the moment becoming a catalyst.

“Starscream!” Arcee yelled, post-shoulder roll and guns out. Cliffjumper next to her, the gatling guns in his forearms glowing blue and ready to blast anything and everything.

Megatron turned, slow with a grin and in time to see the ground bridge disappearing and the Autobots destroying his troops.

His smile faded from his face fast with realization. Autobots wouldn’t have used their ground bridge if he was at their front door. It was too unlikely for his preference.

“Autobots,” he growled. “Only _two_ of you to protect your base when under siege? Are you truly so few?”

“Base?” Cliffjumper cocked his head to the right.

“You do live in this wasteland,” Megatron eyed Starscream, cowering in the corner of his peripheral. “Do you not?”

Cliff simply laughed at the warlord, for being so misinformed. “No! This place is borderline, it’s too close to dangerous even for Cybertronians!”

“Did you hear that, Starscream?” Megatron lumbered towards Starscream, optics focused on him. “This place is ‘too dangerous’ for Cybertronians!”

Starscream hesitated, unsure to fight or take flight before Megatron then made the choice for him, both sharp-clawed servos gripping his wings, jerking the jet enough to release a painful yelp.

“Many kinds of dangerous, it seems.” He spoke quietly. He turned his head, seeing Arcee and Cliffjumper still with their weapons locked on the two. “... If you do not reside here, then what are you doing? You Autobots are usually quite giving, let us Decepticons do the hard work, blowing away the rock and rubble to reach the energon this planet has. Why here? Why now? You’re _early._ ”

“We came for him.” Arcee gestured to Starscream. “Whether or not we take him depends on his answer.”

“Ah, Starscream. You’re reaching a record for angered Cybertronians in one day today, aren’t you?”

After Megatron alerted his third in command for a bridge out of the snow, it was silent except for the wind picking up.

“Well, Starscream?” Cliff kept his weapons up, locked and loaded but everything else about him, for once, was not begging or hoping for a fight.

“He’s out of time for your questions.” Megatron gave the jet a jostle, before turning his cannon onto the bots. “We will be returning to my warship, where he will be answering _mine_.”

Right on time, Arcee and Cliffjumper watched as Megatron dragged a struggling Starscream through their ground bridge.

And with them gone they both retracted their weapons, useless now without a target.

“So? What do you think, ‘Cee?” Cliff stared at the melted snow, now turning into a strip of ice where the bridge had been. “Betrayal? Or no betrayal?”

“You were right, something’s wrong.” Arcee huffed, cracking the newly forming ice under a heel. “Starscream wouldn’t have hesitated to take the chance to mock us in front of Megatron for believing he left the Cons.”

“Instead he stood there,” Cliff brushed the snow off of himself. “quieter than we’d ever seen him.”

“He didn’t betray us.” Arcee activated her comm link to the base. “Jack, bridge us back.”


	8. Chapter 8

Megatron was already a tall figure, tallest on this planet but he was a _tower_ above Starscream, broken on the floor and energon draining from multiple severe wounds.

“Youve grown more resilient since last time, Starscream.” His voice echoed off the walls of the Nemesis. He knelt down, gripping Starscream at the wings and throwing him. Before the jet even slammed against the door both knew that one wing joint had been ripped open.

On the other side of the door stood Knock Out, listening carefully and waiting for the moment that always came where he decided that he had to intervene, lest the Decepticons lose one of their own to their Lord. With a heavy thump against the door, enough that he could see the metal move from the impact, that was the moment.

He found the door locked, and with another painful roar coming from inside the medic resorted to forcing the door open at the seam. “Lord Megat- Ah!” Startled at how nearly the entire floor was a dimly-glowing blue from energon splattered everywhere. “What have you done?!”

For all he knew, Starscream, on the floor and armor crumpled like paper, was already dead.

“I cannot let any Decepticon, especially those close to me,” Megatron eyed Knock Out. “lie or withhold vital information and not be punished.”

“Punish him then!” Knock Out swiped a hand through the air in front of him. “Toss him in the brig! You don’t need to kill him.”

“And I suppose you care because you’re such a good doctor, Knock Out?” Megatron slowly stepped closer, closer and closer. “Or is there something more that you are… withholding from me?”

“No, Lord Megatron. “Knock Out straightened up, steeling himself to what had happened in this room. “Simply that you shouldn’t kill what you can interrogate.”

“This _was_ the interrogation.” Megatron growled.

“And if you kill Starscream, anything he could tell you would be lost forever. Is that your will?” Knock Out moved, careful about where he stepped to pick Starscream up from the floor. Alive, he could tell immediately, but unconscious and without medical attention he wouldn’t be alive for much longer.

“Fine.” Megatron glowered at the medic, only big enough to half-hold and half-drag Starscream past him. “Repair him. And then throw him into isolation to await further questioning for his actions.”

* * *

Starscream groaned. _Everything_ hurt. The lightest movement, twitches really, were enough to tell he had _something_ attached to him.

“Don’t fidget.” Knock Out warned, only to get another groan for a response. “You lost a lot of energon this time.”

“I…”

“Shush. I’m trying to organize, here.” Knock Out said, before trailing off into a mumble about a tool being missing.

“Mm. Made a mistake…”

“You did something to upset Megatron. Big mistake.” Knock Out huffed, digging around his lab.

Starscream felt himself waking up, just a little more and winced when he tried to roll his shoulders and found one welded up to prevent further damage.

“Leaving was a mistake.”

“Wherever you went,” Knockout paused, making a small noise of success at finding the missing scalpel before walking towards the jet. “which you should absolutely tell me all about that, had Megatron pretty steamed up.”

“I shouldn’t have left.” Starscream watched Knock Out do something just out of his sight, something with one of his IVs. “I shouldn’t have left…”

“I agree.” Knockout didn’t look at Starscream, only at what had been hooked up to Starscream and a nearby screen. “But you need to rest, or you’re gonna undo what little repairs I’ve done so far. Just something general.”

More mumbling as Starscream felt groggy from whatever Knock Out had put in him, painful limbs heavy before he was unconscious again.

* * *

“I need to leave!”

Starscream was now well repaired enough that Knock Out couldn’t keep him on any sedative. And the jet was seemingly doing anything possible to rush the medic.

“If you saw what I saw, knew what I knew!” Knock Out huffed. “You wouldn’t be in such a rush to get out of this med bay.”

“Says you.” Starscream spat. “The sooner I’m out, the better.”

“Are you that eager to be pulverized by Megatron again?” The medic asked, jaw dropped. In a quick move, he had a hand on Starscream’s shoulder, leaning in to whisper. “...I’ve been stalling your repairs.”

“Why?” Starscream hissed.

“Because as soon as you leave this med bay, Megatron’s planning to continue his “interrogation” with you. You won’t make it out of the hallway before he’s damaged you enough again to put you back in here, provided you don’t _die_ this time.”

“I don’t want to leave this med bay for that!” Starscream slammed a fist on the berth he had been stuck on. “I’m leaving! Completely! Period!”

“You mean… the Decepticons.” Knock Out arched a brow. “Well, I remember your injuries from last time. And he beat you worse this time. Megatron’s got a pattern; Escalating Violence.”

“If I stay, I’ll perish under his hand. Under his foot!” Starscream spoke under his breath, hunched over with his legs bent at the knees.

“I am a fantastic doctor if you ask me,” Knock Out spoke, pulling unneeded pieces off Starscream’s frame. “But us Decepticons aren’t so lucky in the miracle department. After that run-in with MECH…”

“Knockout! I have! To leave!” Starscream stared with a fearful intensity.

“And just where are you going to go?” Knockout crossed his arms,

“As if you care!”

“Starscream,” Knockout made an exaggerated look of hurt. “I like to think my acting is believable.”

Starscream grumbled. “Don’t worry about it. I have a plan.”

“Your plans also tend to put you in my professional care.” Starscream glared, jaw clenched. “Fine. I’ll help you out, but I’ll have to tell everyone that you escaped. No sense in me dying too. We should get you going before Soundwave comes back, too.”

“Yes, if he’s on board when I leave, he’ll know.” the jet shuddered. “Fine. But don’t you tell anyone.”

“Let’s get started. And since you won’t be bridging out,” Knockout shrugged, hand pulling away to be replaced with internal medical tools. “let’s make sure you can transform and fly well enough to get off the Nemesis without dying.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

“And how do you feel?” Knockout asked. “Once you jump, that’s it, so you better make sure right now.”

Starscream flexed and flicked his wings. The new joints were stiff, it would add a few seconds to his transformation sequence but the Nemesis was high enough above the planet to negate this.

“It’s fine.” Starscream answered. “I’ll be fine.” Another wing flick. New joints always felt strange until broken in. “Er, eh...”

“You’re welcome, Starscream.” Knock Out rolled his eyes to go with his unenthusiastic response.

“Yeah. Yeah.” Starscream moved a hand to the back of his head, shuffling nervously in place. “Don’t get too bored, now that I’m not going to be here anymore.”

Shaking his head, grinning, “I got Breakdown. Get out of here.”

With that, Starscream whipped around, back to Knock Out and the ex-con took a running start off the warship to transform in midair and shoot away successfully.

Knock Out closed up the ship once more, closing off the dull grey cloudscape they were drifting through before making a beeline for his med bay on the other side of the ship. The sportscar wasn’t feeling fond of the idea of running into Soundwave who was due back any time now, or Megatron himself and he’d at least feel safe in his lab.

Entering his lab, the safe feeling he’d expected wasn’t to be found; Breakdown was there, in the corner against the wall.

“Breakdown?” the blue bruiser flinched. “Breakdown.” Knock Out repeated himself, quieter as he froze in place. “I’m going to close the door now.” He warned, before the hiss of hydraulics closed the lab off from the rest of the ship.

“I hate this ship.” Breakdown spoke up, voice awkward and filled with static.

“I know.” Knock Out knelt down, hands to himself. “What happened?”

“Walls closed in. Lights flickered, and the walls closed in and- My chest hurts.”Ah. Another panic attack. Breakdown was needing more and more trips to Earth’s long empty highways and sunny deserts to combat how dark and cramped the Nemesis was. “I came in here and there’s energon everywhere. Tools everywhere. You never leave a mess. I thought… maybe something happened.”

“I’m fine.” the medic tilted his head. “Just had to rush out before I could clean up.”

“Soundwave was here too. He had orders and, I couldn’t really understand him, I just-”

“Wait,” Knock Out’s eyes opened wide. He managed to keep his voice down but his surprise was noticed. “Soundwave stopped by?”

“He had just come back. He said something about finding Starscream. I didn’t even know he was back. Or alive. He told me to find him, but I didn’t even know and-”

“Okay. About Starscream.” Knock Out grinned. “He’s fine. Showed up, Megatron brought him back, beat him up again pretty good too, this is all his energon. I fixed him up, and…” He trailed off.

“And?” Breakdown pulled his forehead off his forearm.

“You can’t tell anyone this.” Knock Out looked over both of his shoulders. “I’m not supposed to tell you but you’re panicking too much, big guy, and you can keep a secret.”

* * *

“I can’t believe you.”

Breakdown was pacing the room, going in circles around berths with a hand on his face and the other clutching at his chest. Knock Out was simply leaning against the back wall, arms crossed and one leg over the other.

“You, you _you_ have messed up this time, Knock Out.” Breakdown sputtered.

“Remember how beat up Starscream was last time you saw him? Before he went missing? This time was worse.” Knock Out huffed. “At this rate, he was going to die next time, which would have been very soon and as a doctor I simply can’t let one of our own be killed like that.”

“But you’ve killed us now!” Breakdown slammed his hands on a table, forcing grooves into the metal. “Knock Out, without Starscream here, Megatron starts hitting you. I can’t let that happen."

"Breakdown y-"

"No, Knock Out." the heavy-hitting Con interrupted, gripping at the table now. “Without Starscream, two of us, but probably all three of us, are gonna die.”

“You sound so sure.” Knock Out scoffed, but kept quiet as Breakdown groaned with his hand back to his chest again; his panic reignited enough to make his assistant’s spark hurt, joints stiff from tension.

He could feel his own assurance about this situation draining from his frame.

“Knock Out, you said next time Megatron… you said Starscream could die.” Breakdown’s shaking affected his voice. “And he’s-”

“Willing to harm his only medic aboard this ship.” Knock Out pushed away from the wall, and glanced at the new alert on one of the screens. “Dreadwing and Soundwave are apparently out. Searching for Starscream, I guess Lord Megatron figured out he’s not on the ship anymore.”

With a metallic thud, Knock Out watched Breakdown slide into the floor, hunched over with his joints straining from how pulled inward he was.

“We have to get off this ship.”

Knock Out put a hand on a shoulder, an attempt at comfort while his optics went back to the screen. “ _If we don’t get off this ship_ ,” Knock Out thought silently, mind racing. “ _we’re going to die._ ”

 


End file.
